Be you. It's beautiful. (#pinspirationthursday)

Say "hello" to my fresh-faced self. I'm not wearing an ounce of makeup, I swear. And I didn't make a single cosmetic edit in Photoshop. I just added some light and sharpened the edges to up the quality of the picture itself. It had nothing to do with subject matter, I swear. Because really, I don't care that you can see my wrinkles or that my face is slightly flushed-looking. I just don't care. What you see is me, and I accept that.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore makeup and wear it quite often. But not as much as I used to. Go to my advertising job without it? I never would. Go to my gym job without it? All the time. Mostly because I don't have the time to apply it. But when I do, I'll throw some on because I think makeup is so much fun to play with.

I only use the basics, really.

Sometimes I forgo the blush.
Sometimes I just use the mascara.

Mascara is my favorite.

Where am I going with this? I want to remind you not to be afraid of your fresh face. Because it's not really about what you look like with makeup on, it's what's underneath it that really counts. No matter how much makeup you wear, it can't really (truly) change who you are. Sure, it might make you feel a bit more presentable and, as such, more confident...but it can't perfect you.

Nor should it.

Perfect is boring.
You're not boring.

So...be you.
You're absolutely beautiful, with or without makeup.

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Question: To all my ladies out there, what's your relationship with makeup? Wear it often? Don't leave home without it? Guys, if you're reading, what are your thoughts on makeup? Do you like it on a lady?